The Prime Minister of Qatar, which has acted as a mediator in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, has questioned the chances for negotiations to succeed following the death of Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani suggested in an X post that the Haniyeh’s assassination could jeopardise the talks.
“Political assassinations and continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on other side?”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
He added, “Peace needs serious partners and a global stance against the disregard for human life.”
Also, a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that the killing of Haniyeh, along with the lack of progress in the ceasefire talks, complicates the situation.
It added that Israeli escalation indicates no political will for ceasefire.
Separately, Kremlin Spokesman, Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin “strongly condemned” the killing of the Hamas chief.
“We believe that such actions are directed against attempts to restore peace in the region and could significantly destabilise an already tense situation,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, Israeli analyst, Akiva Eldar opined that the Haniyeh’s assassination will only lead to more bloodshed in the Middle East.
“It’s a vicious cycle. We have here three partners who are not looking at resolving the conflict. There is no responsible adult in Washington, or elsewhere, who is willing to put leverage on Israel and force us to go back to the negotiating table.
“The graveyards of the Middle East are full of senior Hamas, Hezbollah and Iranian leaders who couldn’t be replaced. But they have been replaced.”
Akiva Eldar
Eldar said that the willingness of the US to allow Israeli leaders such as Benjamin Netanyahu to conduct regional aggression is the main issue at hand.
“It puts us far away from any kind of diplomatic settlement,” he averred.
“So as long as the United States is busy with its elections and domestic issues and is unwilling to use its leverage to force Netanyahu to start with a ceasefire in Gaza and a deal that will bring the captives back home, Israel, Lebanon and Iran will have to bury more people.”
Akiva Eldar
Iran’s Khamenei Vows ‘Harsh Punishment’ For Israel
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised “harsh punishment” for Israel in retaliation for the killing of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
“The criminal and terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our house and made us bereaved,” Khamenei said in a statement, adding that “it also prepared the ground for a harsh punishment for itself.”
He said it was Iran’s duty to avenge the assassination of Haniyeh, who was in the Iranian capital for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Khamenei offered his condolences to Haniyeh’s family and the Palestinian group.
On his part, Pezeshkian promised that his country would “defend its territory” and make the attackers “regret their cowardly action.”
Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement that the attack showed that the “Zionist gang of criminals, murderers and terrorists” had no regard for international rules.
“Undoubtedly, this crime of the Zionist regime will face a harsh and painful response from the powerful and huge resistance front, especially Islamic Iran,” the statement read.
Iran has announced three days of public mourning across the country for Haniyeh.
Hamas said in a statement on its Telegram channel that a funeral ceremony will be held in Iran on Thursday, August 1, 2024, after which Haniyeh’s body will be transferred to Doha, Qatar.
The group disclosed that Haniyeh will be buried in the Qatari capital on Friday, August 2, 2024.
READ ALSO: Ambulance Case: Court’s Decision Unpacked
